Elevator safety device.



T. T. BOYLE.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.27, 1913.

1,125,948. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ewmemo F/Zeociorcffiayk T. T. BOYLE.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 191s.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gum whom F/ZcOa WZZJ IlI/llIll/l/ lllll I 1 ran SA 1 S PAT FFKQEQ THEODORE l. BOYLE SAFETY CGMPANY,

or person, MICHIGAN, asszenoza ro naamocn anava'ron or nnrnoznmcmean, a CORPORATION or MICHIGAN;

arr-urea SAFETY aavzca Specification of Letters razent.

Patenteddann 26,

npplication filed August 27, 191?. Serial-Ho; $86,824,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Trrnononn'l. Borne, a citizen of the United States of'America; residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in-Elevator Safety Devices, of which the follow while it is moving Many. accidents also happen because it is possible for a careless operator to leave a door open or unlatched.

This invention relates to a safetydevice for elevators and its object is to provide a simple and convenient arrangement of electric circuit and devices therein so constructed and arranged as to preclude all liability of accidents due to the leaving of adoor op n or 'unfastened or due to the movement of the car while any door is open or unfastoned.

To these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims, reference being had to the accom panving drawings. in which' Figure 1 is a diagrammatic viewindicating an elevator well and car, and safety mechanism embodying the invention indi cated in operative position thereon: Fig; 2 is a plan view of acircuit breakershowing its casing in section; Fig.- 3 is a longitudinal section through the same: Fig. 4is an end elevation thereof with the casing in section; and Fig. 5 is a detail showing an elew vator door latch and strike plate in elevation.

For convenience of illustration, an electric motor 1 is shown for actuating the winding drum 2-t0 wind the hoisting cable 3 thereon and lift the elevator car or cage 4 in the shaft or well 5 past the several floors 6 in the usual manner,- but it will be understood that any electrically controlled power mechanism for actuating the eleorator may he used, the motor being controlled hyf an electric circuit 7 arranged in any suitable manner-and operating to stop and start the motor upon the breaking or making of said circuit: I

The controller 8 on the elevator car is arranged in-the circuit 7 in the usual man-' ner so that the operator may control the movement of the car and stop the same ope 'posite any one of the'landings or floors 6 to discharge or take on passengers through the door openings which are closed :bv the well or shaft doors indicated atil. These doors are-mounted in the usual manner upon tracks 10 and are each provided with the usual latch or look 11 having a catch bolt 12 to-enter an opening in a striker plate 13 and fasten the door in closed position.

Mounted upon the wall of'the elevator -shaft, adjacent to the forward edge of each doorway, is a circuit breaker 14 the posts or terminals 15 of which are connected in the circuit7; each post being insulated from the base 16 of the circuit breaker by means of an insulating block 17; These posts or terminals 15- are spaced apart and to electrically connect them and complete the cirwit. a plunger 18 mounted in' a suitable tubular guide 19 on the base lfi, is provided with a head 20 of triangular form in plan view to engage between the inclined contact faces 21 of the posts and electrically connect them, the plunger 18 being formed of. I

suitable insulating material to insulate said head from the guide in which it reciprocates. This-head is preferably so attached to the end. of the plunger that it may swing or turn thereon, the end of the plunger extending; into a recess iIr'the-head which is larger than the diameter of the plunger and scoured therein by a pin 22 extending transversely through the headand plunger. This plunger is normally held retracted, by means of a coiled spring 23, one end of which is attached to a stud 24 projecting laterally from saidplunger through a slot in the top of the casing 19. he oppoaim (and ofthelsprmg is se'cured, toa lug on the casing, and thus the plunger is normally held retracted with its head out of contact with the contact surfaces 21. of the posts 15. 1

Projecting into the end of thetubular casing 19 opposite that into which the plunger 18 extends, is a rod 26 having a head 27 on its inner end to engage the end of the tubular casing and to be engaged by a coiled spring 28 within 'the' bore of the casing between it and the inner portion of the plunger 18. The outer end of the rod 26 is provided with a cap 29ha'ving screwthreaded engagement with said end .so that it may be adjusted thereon and is held in its adjusted position by a locknut 30. .By means of the cap,the overall length of the rod may be-changed so that when the forward edge of the'door'is brought intocontact with the cap closing the door, the

plunger head will be movedIinto contact with the terminal posts to close the circuit.

"When the. operator bringshis car'to-a.

landing, and opens the door, first unlatcbf ing it and then movingit'longitudinally away from the side of the door opening adjacent to which the circuit breaker. 15 lo cated and out of contactwith the head of the plunger rod 26,- the spring 23 will at once act to retract the plunger 18 and move its head 20 out of contactwith thecontact surfaces of the posts 15. The electrical circuit 7 will thus be broken and the breaking of this circuit will at once stop the motor, provided it is running, or will prevent its being started by means of the controller 8 if it 'is standing still. Any movement of any one of the doors'is open.

the elevator car will therefore'be Prevented as long as the circuit is open, and the operator will be unable to move his car away from a landing or to move his car at all if The closing of a door brings 1ts forward edge against the end cap of the rod 26 forcing said rod into its casing and pressing the spring 28 against the end of the plunger 18 which in turn is forced out of the casing against the action of the light spring 23, bringing the head 20 into contact 1 with the terminal posts 15. The length of the rod 26 is so adjusted by means of its cap, that the spring 28 will be under compression when the head of th'e'plunger 18 1s in contact with the posts 15and the door is fully closed and latched. The device thus forms a sort of spring buifer...for"the door which will act to throw or rebound'fthe door to open position should the latch fail to catch and lock the door. The strength of the spring 28 is such that it will move the door backward, unless saiddoor is held closedby the latch 11 and it will therefore be impossible for the operator to move his therefore precludedfrom moving his car atall until the door is not only fully closed but locked.

As shown in the drawing the movable parts of the circuit breaker may be i-nclosed within a suitablemetal casing 31 secured to the base 16 in any suitable manner." The partsare thus protected from dust or dirt as weilas oil and water, and are out of sight excepflthe contact members which may be seen throughan opening. 32 in the top of the casing closed by a suitable glass or gther transparency. V 1 Obviously, changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of my invention' and I do not therefore limit myself to the form or arrangement shown.

Having thus fully described my invention what I'claim is v 1. A circuit breaker comprising a base member, terminalscarried thereby, a casing a movement of said head can be observed.

i 2. (circuit breaker for elevators, adapted to-be' closd by a door comprising a longitudiiia'll'y .movable plunger, a spring for actiiatj'ng'the plunger in one direction, a

' longitudinally movable member arranged in 'axialalinement with the plunger, said memher being adapted to be engaged by the edge of tdoor and moved thereby, and yielding means interposed between the end of said member and the adjacent end of the plunger;

3. Afcircuit breaker comprising terminals, a tubular guide casing, a longitudie nally movable plunger in the casing'having a head at one end that is adapted to engage the'terminals, a spring to normally hold the plunger" moved with its contact head out of engagement with the terminals, a member slidable within the casing, and a coiled spring within the casing between the inner end of said member and the inner end ofthe plunger. y 1:4. A' circuit breaker comprising a base member, atubular casing on the base memher, an insulating block on the base member, terminal members in the electrical ciron said base member, a head supported from cuit upon the insulating block, a plunger sli'dable within the casing and having a head adapted to engage the terminal members, a spring for normally holding the plunger moved out of engagement with the terminal members, a rod slidable in the tubular casing in axial alinement with the plunger, and a coiled spring within the tubular casing between the inner eml of the rod and the inner end of the plunger.

In testimony whereef I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE '1. BOYLE. Witnesses:

ANNA M. Donn, G. E, MCGEANN. 

